Mortality & Fruit and Vegetable Consumption

Fruit and Vegetable Consumption and Mortality from All Causes, Cardiovascular Disease, and Cancer: Systematic Review and Dose-Response Meta-analysis of Prospective Cohort Studies.

Study Question

What is the association between consumption of fruit and vegetables and risk of all cause, cardiovascular, and cancer morality?

Summary Answer

Evidence from prospective cohort studies shows that higher consumption of fruit and vegetables is associated with a reduced risk of mortality from all causes, particularly cardiovascular disease. Higher consumption is not, however, appreciably associated with cancer morality.

What is Known and What this Paper Adds

Fruit and vegetable consumption might be associated with risk of mortality, but the dose dependency of these associations has not been determined in a meta-analysis. This meta-analysis of prospective cohort studies shows an inverse relationship between fruit and vegetable consumption and risk of all cause mortality, with 5% reduction in risk of all cause mortality for each additional serving a day of fruit and vegetables (6% for fruit and 5% for vegetables).